Bruce Lee's "Secret" Six Pack Ab Exercise

Hahaha – oh boy. I loved this post about 120% even more after I read the last paragraph (the note).

Ooh, Rusty, I think you just gave me another "secret" ab exercise! Laughter! It hurts!

Rusty i was wondering how do you get build in abs and have them pop out. I thought that the plank and this exercise make them flat?

Thomas,

The abdomen is just a big muscle criss-crossed by tendons. Really, the lower you get your body fat percentage…the deeper your grooves will look where the tendons are…it isn't so much the muscle sticking out…it is more about how deep the grooves appear.

Hope that makes sense!

Rusty

Thanks Rusty! I just tried this one in my office…I have a big office and nobody could see me!

It actually worked really well…I felt all my muscles tightening up for sure, thanks for the "Bruce Lee Secret"!

Jennifer,

Young Grasshopper…You have learned Breath of Dragon, but can you handle the cheesiest movie theme song of all time!

You guys that were too young to see Karate Kid in the 80's…you may have missed out on the corniest movie soundtrack ever!

"You're the Best…Around…Nothings Gonna Ever Keep You Down"

Warning: Don't watch this more than once, it will get stuck in your head!

Jennifer…this exercise really is good and you will get abs way better than the Karate Kid! He is around 26-27 in this movie clip. What a wuss!

Rusty

I started doing this the night you posted it and it certainly feels like it's a valuable workout tool.
My question for you though is A. How do I know if I'm doing it right?
and B. How many times do you recommend I do this a night?

Thanks again man, as invaluable as ever.

Wow, I just realized you already had the answer to my second question in the text, I just managed to skip it 5 or 6 times somehow. My apologies.

Zach,

You will know you are doing it right, when you feel that you can contract your abs harder over time. Really all you are doing is trying to get as hard of a contraction as possible.

You are breathing out for two reasons:

1) To insure that you aren't holding your breath…bad things happen when you hold your breath under strong exertion.

2) You want to contract your abs when your belly is at its smallest size…this will help tighten up your waist and you are re-enforcing a small mid-section. Have you ever seen a guy with six pack abs, but his stomach sticks out past his chest? This exercise prevents that from happening.
(read the underlined part again…I have never seen anyone write or talk about this…a golden nugget if I do say so myself).

Rusty

Another great post, Rusty. Good job!

Rusty is totally right about the skin having to "shrink wrap" around the abs. I had an emergency operation that involved filling my belly with gas so the surgeons could see what they were doing and save my life. My stomach was pumed up to the size of a basketball. After the surgery, even with a very low bodyfat I had no abdominal definition whatsoever. After about 4-5 months everything went back like it never happened.
Unless you have a weak core, don't do any wieght bearing excercises for the abs. I did it to build up strength back in my core as part of post-op rehab, but afterwards I just continued with planks and bridges. A good test to see if you have a strong core is to do a negative situp and try to come down in more than 5-10 seconds. The longer the better.

Static holds like planks and bridges are amazing, just check out some of these gymnastics progressions here:

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/229/

excecuting a maneuver like this at the pullup rack in your gym will make heads turn and you will also get more attention from the ladies than those guys mindlessly lifting huge wieghts and making a lot of noise thinking they are lika "ah-nold". You will also become stronger, (due the nervous systems ability to recruit more muscle fibers) without getting much bigger as well. I am about 160-165 and I can effortlessly bench about 2x's my bodywieght. It is such a rush to throw around more weight than those big dorks without struggling. Focus on being functional and a good athlete, the rest will follow.

John,

Awesome content in your comments as always! You are much stronger than me! I can't even get close to benching twice my body weight. I'm around 185 right now…I think I'd struggle just to unrack 370 pounds!

Great link to Dragon Door. Gymnasts have amazing physiques, so emulating some of their moves make sense.

Rusty

Dragon Door is full of great info, not just that article but other training tidbits as well. Lets take a vote everyone…

Maybe this can be a new thread but im curious to know what everyone thinks…

Which athletes have the best bodies?

Here is my personal top 5 in no particular order and why.

1) Professional fighters- Some may not have great looking bodies, some do, but thier conditioning is definitley admirable and for general fitness and well being a boxing regimine is good to work into your program once in a while.

2) Swimmers and Divers- best torso development. Swimming regularly can also allow you some dietary leeway. consider this: Michael Felps consumes over 8,000 cals a day, so progress can be made even with modest efforts.

3) Gymnasts- no explination needed…best combo of performance and beauty.

4) Tennis pro's- It's also a mind game, no?

5) Soccer players- see the D&G ad with the Italian world cup champs?

It took me forever to get even worked through the progressions without giving up but I stayed consistent.

John,

I gotta go with Soccer players for men and Tennis pro's for women. Women have been drooling over soccer players for years.

Also…the guys who play Water Polo seem to be built like swimmers but a bit more rugged looking.

Both male and female beach volleyball players usually look great as well.

Rusty

Rusty,

Damn I forgot about volleyball, and I used to play it in college.
Water Polo is great too…there is a great spread in Vman magazine with all of the olympic athletes for the American Water polo, swim, and rowing teams and what thier prospects are for winning this time around in Bejing…The prediction is that the US should amass a ton of gold medals in these events.

John

Small update for anyone wondering how this is working.
I've been doing this since the night you posted Rusty, and I am seeing a much more prominent line forming on my abs in the center, which was the real problem. So with this and combined with planks, you really seem to have found a great work out that provides the tone and definition to anyone who wants it. I know I still have a good while to go, and I only just started with your routines, but already I'm seeing a difference at a pace much more to my liking than the year of sit-ups in eight billion different variants that I did.

Thanks again man, I appreciate it.
And to everyone who thinks this is crock, no, it's not actually, it's actually pretty cool, and really feels like a workout, much more than any type of sit up ever did.

Woo.

Zach,

You rock, buddy. Thanks for the testimonial (no I didn't pay Zach to say this great stuff).

I think the main thing here is that you are toning your abs when your torso is in a normal position. It just makes sense to me…that you are contracting your abs when your spine is in straight alignment…so when you ar at the beach just standing normally, they will be slightly contracted at rest…showing great definition.

Glad it working well for you!

Rusty

Well, I have and read The art of expressing the human body, which is a book on Bruce Lee's exercises he performed and his routines and some other things to.

It did if I remember correctly say that you won't get a toned or flat stomach from just doing abdominal work, it will build muscle sure but the only real way to tone up is to do b0dy fat burning exercises, such as Running/jogging, biking, skipping and so on in a combination, remember 20 minutes is the minimum you should be doing, I think the minimum is more like 40 minutes, but that is the way I work, I try to do cardio anytime I can, run to the shops, run into town, do my cardio workout.
For people who do not do or not research cardio, you can do it everyday.

Yeah…having a low body fat percentage by doing cardio is a big part of the equation. I have a post about that as well.

Best Abdominal Exercise for Six Pack Abs

Ah cool, will read that at some point.
People want to be toned and some don't realise they need cardio to achieve it, obviously mixed with weight training.

I will try the this exercise you have written though, expanding the mind in the area of body science is always important information, if it works or not, then you can do as Bruce Lee did, take in what is of use to you and discard what isn't.

Hey Rusty,

I found this info recently when looking into this concept for training the abs. Thought you might find it interesting:

More crunches, more sit-ups—you’re working those abs constantly. Want a great result in record time? The classic stomach vacuum is probably the most effective abs exercise that you’re not doing.
Next time you catch the guy next door poolside in a bathing suit trying to hold in his stomach—don’t laugh.

He might just be on to something.

The stomach vacuum is one of the most effective abdominal exercises you can do—and it can be performed anywhere, at anytime, whether you’re lying down, standing up or in a seated position.

Made famous by legendary bodybuilder Frank Zane, it’s a unique and easy-to-perform exercise that strengthens abdominal muscles and helps shape a better waistline.

Jacob Wilson, a PhD. candidate in the department of Exercise, Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Florida in Tallahassee, explains why the stomach vacuum is such a positive exercise:

“The benefits derived from the stomach vacuum concern both enhanced athletic performance in the sport of bodybuilding, and enhanced functionality in daily-living activities, as well as in most training situations. I have also found extensive evidence that the stomach vacuum can increase your ability to perform weight-lifting exercises such as the squat, and decrease the probability of injury.”

As the name suggests, the stomach vacuum literally makes your abdominal region disappear—even if it’s only temporary.

To execute, exhale first and then draw your stomach inward as far as possible and hold. More specifically, pull your belly button into your spine. According to Wilson, the objective is to hold your stomach in for as long as you can while continuing to breathe in a natural fashion.

“I would not overemphasize the breathing portion too heavily as evidence shows us that the body has a natural breathing center located in the medulla of the brain which handles this process for us.”

Strengthening the abdominal wall also benefits the spine.

Wilson explains that compression of the abdominal cavity stiffens the spine, making it more resistant.

The muscle group responsible for pulling the belly button inward is the transversus abdominis. Deepest of all the abdominal muscles, the transversus abdominis is a trunk stabilizer that protects the lumbar spine from injury. Contraction of the transversus abdominis tightens the thoracolumbar fascia, which is a thick band of connective tissue covering the deep muscles of the lower back.

“The intriguing thing about the human body is that the thoracolumbar fascia is a sort of natural weight belt,” says Wilson. “It attaches to the thoracic or mid-and-lower regions of the spine, and curves around to the front of the body. As it nears the front region, the transversus abdominis completes the hoop or belt-like structure. We know that people with back pain delay activation of the transversus abdominis during lifting movements. It takes time for them to turn the muscle group on before they begin lifting a weight, leaving their spine in a compromised position.”

Performing the stomach vacuum should reduce lower back pain. Despite their critical role in posture and lower-back support, the inner abdominal muscles seldom receive training.

Ridding yourself of that distended midsection may only be a matter of targeting the transversus abdominis.

“The stomach vacuum can even be performed at work,” notes Wilson. “At your desk you can practice drawing in the abdominal wall while seated in a correct posture. That is, with a normal spinal curvature. Simply draw in the belly button toward your spine and hold it in tight. A smaller midsection creates the illusion of wider shoulders, and therefore a more powerful frame.”

Abs Sense Makes the Heart Grow Fonder:

If you really want to maximize the stomach vacuum and shed inches off your waistline, follow this guide:
• Perform your first stomach vacuums on the floor in a lying position to obtain the feel of your stomach against your spine.
• When control is mastered, begin doing stomach vacuums in a standing and seated position.
• Progress by holding your stomach in for longer periods of time.
• Consume smaller meals instead of overloading the stomach.
• Drink more water throughout the day so you don’t drink to excess during meals.

Laura,

That is awesome. I have read about vacuums in the past, but I have to say…I never got a detailed description about why they would reduce the size of your waist (by strenthening the transversus abdominis).

I also didn't realize that they were good for the back as well. I love comments like these!

Great Stuff!

Rusty

PS: I'll make sure and do these while I'm on my computer from now on.

All of this is really great stuff. I've spent so much time doing countless variations of situps, using an incline bench, using weights and medicine balls, and really nothing works better than the simple (but challenging) plank exercise and this breathing exercise. Thanks so much for the tips!

One suggestion: if regular planks are getting easy for you and you don't want to have to hold it for 2 minutes to start to feel it, try using a swiss ball. The two ways to do this are to put your feet on the ball and your arms on the ground, or the other way around (arms on the ball, feet on the ground). The former is a bit more difficult but both really work your core. Try doing it with side-planks as well.

Kris,

Yeah…I like doing them on an exercise ball as well. You can put your elbows farther forward and it burns the heck out of your abs.

Great Stuff!

Rusty

The only ab excersize i've done untill now is the breath of dragon / stomach vacuum excersize. I do it while lying on my bed (good way if you have a sore back).

And you know what? It works man! It works like a charm!! I would recommend this excersize instead of doing sit-ups anytime! I'm not sure if this is as effective as doing situps, but man, I really do feel those abs popup when I flex them (while holding my hand on my tummy).
It's great! Though my bodyfat hasn't dropped quite enough to actually see the muscles, allthough I can see a faint definition beginning to appear!

This is my excersize:

- 5 sets of 5 reps – 3 times per week.
- each rep consist of a 20 second long 'vacuum' part, and a 5 second rest (went from 20 seconds, to 10, and then 5 to make it more intense). Repeat.
- after each set I take a rest that lasts 40 seconds.

The whole excersize does take quite a while, but I think it's more than worth it though!

I do have one concern… Does this excersize work your side-muscles as well? Or only your upper and lower abs?

Remon,

This exercise will work your entire mid section…obliques and all. Sounds like you are getting good results with it. Once your body fat gets low enough your abs should look sharp.

Rusty

i m die hard fan of master bruce lee.i m a kick boxer and a karate black belt.jus need ur more guidance to learn more about master bruce lee ,s work out his routine and his training.thankx for keeping us updated.

I don't know all of Bruce Lee's workouts, but I did read a bunch of his stuff when I was younger. I'm glad I remembered this exercise, because I couldn't find it referenced anywhere on the internet. He was an outstanding athlete.

Rusty

yea it feels pretty good but how long do you think i should do it at a time

ex. like 5 min

or what

brock,

I like to do a set or two in the morning and a set or two at night. You don't have to set aside 5 minutes or anything, just do it whenever you have time.

Rusty

ohhh ok well do you know any other of bruce lee's secret workouts for abs

any ab work out

brock,

Look up "Dragon Flag" on Google. I don't do this exercise, but Bruce Lee made these famous. I think the potential for injury is high so be careful if you try these.

Rusty

Yes the dragon flag is very risky. I used to do 3 of them whenever i workout until i pulled a muscle in my lower abdomen. Im only 15, and i guess i didnt know what i was doing. Also try V-shapes. He did alot of those and mainly just basics

ok i will thanks a lot man your a good web trainer lol

Rusty,

do you have any isometric workouts that bruce lee did?

hey do you know anything about psi/chi

did u read his toa of jeet kune do? i am such a fanatic that i have thought about making a church of bruce lee. lol i really do respect him and would love to have regular 1 on 1 training sessions with him bruce stopped doing iso workouts because he got slow

this exersise remindes me of the horse stance used in martial arts. in movies the master would often have student stand with legs apart toes pointed forward in a squat position with arms straight in front of you normaly holding weights in each hand, like bukets of water. this is a type of indorance training that hardens many muscels in the arms back legs and core. i do not recomend using weight when doing this or injuries may acure. sorry for spelling errers im on a psp rigit now XD

i forgot while doing horse stance in through nose(5sec) out through mouth (5sec). this is done simultaniously with breath of dragon technique

im gonna give this exercise a go though i dnt think ill stop my crunches

These breathing techniques are golden
The complete breath from the "Yogi Science of Breath" focuses on expanding and retracting the abdomen and rib cage= its a good read

Rusty, how about "Breathing Dragon" or even "Dragon's Breathing"?

Great article and yeah the dragon breath is pretty funny too.
I'm doing some research on Bruce's abs because they were amazing
and I heard of something like this before with Conditioning coach Ian King but not like this… thanks for the secret

This is an old yoga practice called breath of fire.
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/pranayam.html